Venice Beach Pier

Take a peaceful stroll along the Venice Beach Pier, then enjoy a burger and beer on Washington Boulevard.

The undeveloped Venice Beach Pier offers a vastly different experience from the bustling Santa Monica Pier. There are no ferris wheels, rollercoasters or restaurants here, and the mood is more subdued.

Enjoy a long stretch of open pier to savor the bracing ocean breezes, gently lapping ocean, and panoramic vistas.  This is the perfect place to visit if you need a respite from the L.A. crowds.

The Venice Beach Pier (otherwise known as the Venice Fishing Pier) is located at the end of W Washington Boulevard in Venice Beach, with a convenient parking lot directly before the pier.

5 best things to do at the Venice Beach Pier

1. Stroll along the 1,300 foot Venice Beach Pier, with benches for relaxing at the end of the pier.

2. See breathtaking views of LA's coastline, all the way up to the sweeping Santa Monica Mountains.

3. Cast a line and go fishing off the pier.

4. Walk to nearby Washington Boulevard for a casual meal. If you want a change of pace, walk back to the restaurants on West Washington Boulevard.   Unlike the trendy restaurants along Venice's Abbott Kinney you're more likely to find beach grills and burger grills here and a few surf shops.  Flip flops and t-shirts are fine after a day at the beach. There's zero pretentiousness here.  

5. Book a bike rental from Perry's at the start of the Venice Beach Pier, and ride all the way to Santa Monica. Take an easy 2-mile bike ride north along the gorgeous beachfront Marvin Braude Bike Trail, from Venice Beach Pier to Santa Monica.  You can also take the Ocean Front Walk to Santa Monica.

Other fun things to do at Venice Beach

Walk along the peaceful Venice Canals, a few blocks back from Venice Beach.  They were excavated in 1905, and modeled on Venice Italy.   

Experience the carnival-like atmosphere along the oceanfront Venice Beach boardwalk.  Prepare to be entertained by tarot card readers, street performers, random film shoots, a thrilling skatepark, and the muscle beach outdoor weightlifting area.  There's also plenty of cheap souvenirs from street vendors. 

Venice Beach itself is a gorgeous stretch of sand and perfect for a beach day.  Pick up some sunscreen, beach toys for the kids, and make a day of it.

The Venice Beach Skate Park is popular with tourists.  The skateboards love to show off their tricks and love to play to the crowd.  Watch them grind and slide on the ledges, and do aerial flip tricks.

Abbot Kinney is the epitome of cool in Venice Beach, with a shopping street full of trendy boutiques and restaurants.